I kind of admire the columnist for sharing her story, despite the obvious humiliation since it could be helpful to her readers.
My AgedP got a call about 12 years ago that her grandson (at Carnegie Mellon) was in jail and needed bond. Luckily, she called me. Dad had died about a year or so earlier, so she was pretty vulnerable. I told her anytime something remotely similar came up, to call me, and she promised to do so.
I've given 20 bucks or so to probably scammers at gas stations, particularly if they have kids. What if they aren't scammers? 20 bucks means absolutely nothing to me. 50k, now, is another matter as you all will point out, correctly. I don't even care a lot if I have been scammed. "As you have done to the least, so you have done to me."
Growing up, my father was a Church of Christ pastor in rural Missouri and Western Oklahoma and would get phone calls at night from travelers, asking for gas money or food or, etc. Many, not all, had kids. I asked him "How can you tell who is really in need or who is a con?" And he said it doesn't matter. At most, the church is out the gas money--40 or 60 bucks (they had an account that he, the elders and deacons could access when this sort of thing came up). If they take food and clothes, they could get rid of them in the nearest trash can out of town, but more times than not, they will need it. And what kind of Christian am I if they are in need and I don't help them?
My AgedP got a call about 12 years ago that her grandson (at Carnegie Mellon) was in jail and needed bond. Luckily, she called me. Dad had died about a year or so earlier, so she was pretty vulnerable. I told her anytime something remotely similar came up, to call me, and she promised to do so.
I've given 20 bucks or so to probably scammers at gas stations, particularly if they have kids. What if they aren't scammers? 20 bucks means absolutely nothing to me. 50k, now, is another matter as you all will point out, correctly. I don't even care a lot if I have been scammed. "As you have done to the least, so you have done to me."
Growing up, my father was a Church of Christ pastor in rural Missouri and Western Oklahoma and would get phone calls at night from travelers, asking for gas money or food or, etc. Many, not all, had kids. I asked him "How can you tell who is really in need or who is a con?" And he said it doesn't matter. At most, the church is out the gas money--40 or 60 bucks (they had an account that he, the elders and deacons could access when this sort of thing came up). If they take food and clothes, they could get rid of them in the nearest trash can out of town, but more times than not, they will need it. And what kind of Christian am I if they are in need and I don't help them?
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